1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a buckle for fastening a closure flap of a bag, a rucksack or the like, and also for fastening straps, belts or suspenders of a shoe, a boot, trousers, a skirt or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 60-31809 discloses a buckle for fastening belts of a shoe which buckle comprises, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B of the accompanying drawings, interlocking male and female members A, B. The male member A has on its rear surface a pair of resilient legs C, C, each having on its outer side a stepped portion which is engageable with the edge D of an aperture in the female member B as the male member A is pressed against the female member B so as to force the legs C, C into the aperture from the front side of the female member B in a snap action. The female member B has a pair of resilient arms E, E having a pair of inwardly directed pushing portions F, F. When the two arms E, E are pressed toward each other, the pusher portions F, F pushes the legs C, C so as to resiliently bend the same inwardly, thereby bringing the stepped portions out of engagement with the edge D of the aperture.
Such prior buckle is disadvantageous in that since there is no means for protecting the arms E, E, where the extent to which each of the arms E is movable laterally and perpendicularly to the general plane of the buckle is more than necessary. Further, such non-protected arms E, E tend to be broken when undue pulling forces are exerted on the arms, for example when a garment is caught by the arms.